Naturally occurring polymers with biomedical applications

extracellular matrix

Our bodies are not just living cells stuck between other living cells. Tissue and organs are made not just of cells, but of a matrix of fibers, proteins, and small molecules that living cells secrete and live in. This material is called the extracellular matrix, which gives structure to our bodies and a pathway for cells to communicate with each other. When the cells are washed away, the extracellular matrix, or ECM, remains, and can be used as a material…

Stroke, the main cause of adult disability, leaves a hole, or cavity, in the brain, destroying tissue and cell networks. Physical therapy is the only approved treatment for stroke, relying on the brain’s ability to rewire itself to regain function without healing the damaged tissue. This highlights an opportunity for regenerative medicine to improve healing and long term outcomes for stroke patients. A possible solution to stroke therapy shortcomings Transplanting neural stem cells into the damaged tissue has not yet been able…

We discussed in an earlier post the application of natural polymers in clinical treatment of osteoarthritis and other injuries to articular cartilage. Those current therapies are all limited to treating small lesions or holes of only a few millimeters across. Material challenges remain when larger, curved areas of cartilage need to be regenerated in joints. Larger scaffold constructs are more difficult to evenly seed with cells, and are also prone to shrinking and changing shape as the cells grow inside…

All tissue engineering and regenerative medicine scaffolds try to mimic some characteristic of the natural extracellular matrix, or ECM. It supports growth of blood vessels, nerves, and allows sufficient diffusion of nutrients to keep native tissue healthy. Usually scientists and engineers try to isolate just a few of the characteristics of the ECM, such as mechanical properties, three dimensional structure, and inclusion of proteins or other functional molecules. A few researchers have decided to not to mimic ECM and instead…